Nottingham City MP Nadia Whittome has called upon home secretary Priti Patel to intervene on the “alarming” rise in cases of spiking in nightclubs.
Ms Whittome – who represents Nottingham East, the area covering Nottingham Trent University – has instructed the home secretary to take action following the increase in incidents.
In a letter to Ms Patel which was shared on her social media channels, Nadia Whittome said she was “very concerned that we are facing a new and pervasive form of violence against women and girls, which must be dealt with swiftly.”
She adds: “I am sure you will appreciate the urgency of this situation, and the extreme concern both I and my constituents have over the safety of women in nightclubs in Nottingham and across the country.
“I would therefore be grateful for an update on the situation and an outline of the measures your department is taking to tackle this situation across the UK and how women’s organisations and advocacy groups are forming part of the Home Office’s response.”
Students up and down the country are set to take part in a boycott of nightclubs on Wednesday, October 27, to make it clear to nighttime venues that change needs to take place.
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More than 100,000 people have also signed a petition calling on the Government to make it a legal requirement that people are searched on entry to nightclubs.
Nottinghamshire Police arrested a 20-year-old man on October 16 as part of a wider investigation into spiking after officers received a report of suspicious activity in Lower Parliament Street, Nottingham city centre.
He remains on conditional bail and enquiries are continuing.
Zara Owen, 19, a student at the University of Nottingham, told Sky News of her experience of being spiked – by an injection in her thigh.
She said: “I’ve got no memory, it’s a complete blackout. This has never happened to me before and it’s terrifying to think what actually happened to me during those hours that I’ve missed.
“I was fortunate enough to have my friends there to take me home, but in the morning when I woke up I had a really sharp pain in my leg and it just felt really weird.
“I found a pinprick in my lap where the pain was and it was then I thought it’s kind of official, I’d been spiked by an injection.”
Lead Image: Parliament UK